Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Just a few days ago, terrorists opened fire in a crowded market in Assam, killing 14 persons no the spot and injuring as many others.

It was one of the deadliest attacks at a public space in India, but it didn't lead to national outrage.

TV channels didn't focus on it much, and newspapers were content with small follow-up stories the next day.

The reason was probably because the outfit didn't have an Arabic or Islamic name. NDFB, a militant outfit, was the prime suspect behind the attack.

Reports didn't talk much about modules. Photos of main leaders of the groups were not shown either.

Alas, such attacks are not new to Assam, or even the entire North East. Recoveries of IEDs, killings, terrorism--all this has been a part of daily lives for millions of people in North Eastern India, for several decades.

A chart that shows figures of deaths [of civilians, security personnel and the militants] is also available along with this news item. Hundreds are killed every year in this state alone. You can read the Hindustan Times' report here.

Globalsecurity.org puts the figure of deaths at 10,000 in just one state [Assam]. Of the eight states in North East, Assam alone has seen 8,000-10,000 killings because of terrorism. The estimates depend on if you take last 20 yrs, 30 yrs or 35 years.

This figure increases manifold if its neighbouring states like Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur are included.

In fact, even Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh have had militant groups. And remember, they have nothing to do with Islam or Muslims.

In all these states, terror has killed thousands over decades. The figure of deaths due to terror* is among one of the highest in the world, in this region. [*You may call it terrorism, insurgency, radicalism, militancy or separatist movement--it's your choice but the killers are terrorists, without doubt.]

The chief outfits responsible for killings are ULFA--United Liberation Front of Assam apart from NDFB. ULFA is officially termed a terrorist outfit and is banned in India. Yet, it has one of the biggest cadres.

In terms of killings, these outfits have killed far more people--Indians, than any other outfit.

Still, wanton killings of 'Hindi speakers', 'non-Assamese', 'Bodo' or 'non-Bodo', Muslims and Biharis, are sadly taken less seriously in the media. The words like 'Rebel', 'Radical', 'Extremist', 'Insurgent' and sometime 'militant' are used, but not the word 'Terrorist'.

However, the truth is that no outfit or group stands anywhere close, not even 1/10th when it comes to the extent of killings and violence these groups have perpetrated.

The ULFA cadre belongs to Hindus. Some other outfits have other minorities including some Christians.

You may cleverly use the word 'separatist' but the fact remains that just like the terrorists in Kashmir, these terrorists in Assam have been bleeding the state for decades.

Terrorism is against humanism, against ordinary people. It is always condemnable--either it is Jihadi, Leftist, Right-wing, Islamist, Hindutva or indoctrination is by any means--for language or territory.

It harms when terror is linked to religion because it is basically irrational and absolutely incorrect. Clearly, terror can't be linked to any religion.

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